Aesthetic treatment device and method

ABSTRACT

An aesthetic treatment device including: a multi illumination system having at least one source in the visible region, disposed around a periphery of a predetermined area of skin; an imaging device, sensitive to the illumination system, to discern features on or in the skin within the predetermined area of skin to be treated; multiple treatment light sources mounted on an optical bench and aimed and focused to a point of treatment in the predetermined area of skin; a mechanical guidance system to guide the multiple treatment light sources; and a pulse generator to control power output of the multiple treatment light sources based upon the treatment to be applied to the predetermined area of skin.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.13/903,129, filed on May 28, 2013, now pending, which claims the benefitof European Application No. 12173261.4, filed on Jun. 22, 2012, in theEuropean Patent Office.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Aspects of the invention relate to a miniature device which performsaesthetic treatments such as acne treatment, wrinkle removal, hairremoval, rejuvenation and other applications based on light treatment.The system may comprise a detection system which evaluates the exactarea to be treated and a multiple wavelength laser or LED sources tunedto optimally treat the unwanted aesthetic disorder and aimed at a singlepoint or a plurality of points from different directions.

2. Description of the Related Art

In known aesthetic treatment devices, treatment is performed by floodinga relatively large area of skin with light without differentiationbetween healthy skin and the area to be treated. A typical system fordermatological treatment is described in US Patent Publication No.2009/0054880 A1 intended to perform dermatological treatment by intensepulses of light radiated over large skin areas. The treatment selectionis performed by chromatic characteristics of the skin or hair folliclesand selection between treated and not to be treated areas is performedby the light source wavelength selection in a process called photothermolysis or wavelength depended light absorption.

Light is absorbed by dark objects, so laser energy can be absorbed bydark material in the skin, but with higher speed and intensity. Thisdark target matter, or chromophore, can be naturally-occurring orartificially introduced. The main drawback of this procedure is thatlarge areas of skin are unnecessarily exposed to high levels of intensepulsed light with potential adverse results.

For example, conventional laser hair removal systems rely on floodinglarge areas with high intensity light, hair removal is performed atwavelengths that will not damage the human tissue, such that the lightwill be transmitted by the skin to the follicle depth and destroy thefollicle by photothermolysis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Since small features on the skin surface are difficult to discern due tolack of contrast, especially when the colors of feature and skinsurrounding are similar, a special peripheral illumination system isdisclosed which greatly improves the contrast.

A specialized illumination technique that capitalizes on obliqueillumination enhancing the image contrast is disclosed. This contrastenhancement technology is especially applicable in discerning smallfeatures with low contrast, such as blonde or white hair on top of paleskin. The illumination increases contrast by two mechanisms; obliqueillumination (about 90 degrees to the optical axis of a camera) andmultiple wavelength illumination from UV to infrared, each providingcomplementary color to a given feature. Light passing through a glasssubstrate will be reflected only from non-uniform features on the skinsurface, illumination from oblique angles at all azimuths is diffracted,refracted, and reflected towards the camera objective to form a brightimage of the specimen superimposed onto a primarily dark background.

A special imaging device with sensitivity matching the light sourceswill be used to detect and discern the areas to be treated from thesurrounding areas. A second optional visible illumination light sourcewill be used to illuminate the skin surface for positioning and imagedisplay. Selection of areas to be treated will be performed by spatialdiscernment rather than wavelength chromatic selection.

The treating source will comprise a laser or an LED with an appropriatewavelength dedicated to a specific treatment application. Preferably,the light source will be a dual wavelength laser capable of performingtreatment by being transmitted through the skin or by local skinpenetration. The system's laser power is sufficient to produce a beamcapable of penetrating the epidermis and destroying a selected target.Penetration is achieved by selecting the right wavelength to betransmitted by the skin to the target area or alternatively byincreasing power density to levels that will locally perforate theepidermis and destroy targets for example, hair follicles, color pigmentstains and other skin disorders such as wrinkles. A special controllablepower supply will allow operation of a treatment light source under acontinuous or a pulse light mode. The laser beam used in laserrejuvenation and wrinkles removal will be targeted at the wrinkleoutline. It simultaneously heats the underlying skin, called the dermis.This action works to stimulate growth of new collagen fibers. As thetreated area heals, the new skin that forms is smoother and firmer. Asfor acne, a different wavelength source will be used, usually in the 400nm region combined with a longer wavelength for heating the underlyingskin.

Acne occurs when the body begins producing an overabundance of oils andsebaceous fluids that become trapped beneath the surface due to cuticlebuild up or debris. When this happens, unnatural levels of bacteria canbegin to form, which can trigger infections.

Laser systems will be arranged to converge on a spot or spots fromdifferent directions, creating a powerful spot or spots of multiwavelength lasers on one hand and a highly diverging beam on the otherhand, thereby improving the system safety. A special smart guidingmechanical system is provided for accurately selecting the area to betreated with micron accuracy.

One feature of uniqueness of the present aesthetic treatment device isthat this device achieves and sometimes overcomes the performance of thesystems existing in the market for the above procedures, whileintegrating all the capabilities of aesthetic treatment in a miniaturehand held apparatus. The treatment apparatus is based on multiple lightsources, lasers or LEDs focused on the treatment area from differentdirections. The multiple light sources for treatment purposes could havethe same wavelength or different wavelengths each optimized for adifferent application. Target selection is performed by a dualwavelength smart illumination system. An internal light source structureenables the aesthetic treatment device to operate with high peakintensity for effective treatment, while the emission spectrum remainsmostly in the near infra-red region. Aiming the multiple focused beamsto target is performed manually or automatically.

Due to the above features, the proposed aesthetic treatment device ispotentially usable for all hair types since its working principle isbased on spatial hair removal rather than selective photothermolysis.

Another advantage of the proposed aesthetic treatment device is that thesame provides an image display of the working area near and around thelight sources, enabling treatment directly by a user even in concealedareas.

In addition, the high source focus ability and miniature size enablesthe use of a well designed miniature treatment hand piece.

Many disadvantages of prior art aesthetic treatment devices areadvantageously solved by aspects of the present invention. A partiallist is as follows:

In prior art systems a high power light or laser is applied to arelatively large area and the required treatment is usually achieved byphotothermolysis followed by collateral damage to the surrounding skin.It is an aspect of the present invention to overcome this drawback byapplying a focused laser beam or light directly to the treatmentlocation without affecting the surrounding skin.

Some prior art treatments are performed by selective photothermolysis orby skin limited transparency to allow deep light penetration. It isanother aspect of the present invention to perform treatment by spatialrecognition of an area to be treated, enabling focused treatment andpotential treatment, not only by photothermolysis but by a directlocalized system.

In some prior art devices, the irradiated area is discernible only byvisible illumination from above with poor image contrast in some cases,yet aspects of the present invention art provide an additionalperipheral illumination which improves the contrast of features on theskin surface.

In some prior art devices, the light source is relatively large,requiring a large amount of power and complicated power electronics. Itis another aspect of the present invention to provide a miniaturetreatment laser or LED with low power requirements, and whichpotentially is operated from a USB power source.

In some prior art devices, the light source is usually a single lightsource per treatment handle and in the case of a laser hand piece, thelight radiates in a very limited light spectrum of a few nanometers. Itis another aspect of the present invention to overcome these by using adual wavelength miniature laser or mounting several lasers or an LED atthe same treatment laser head for improved efficacy.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a miniature aesthetictreatment device discerns features to be treated on a skin surface by aperipheral illumination system based on multiple low power wavelengthLED sources and is equipped with multiple high power wavelength lightsources intended for therapeutic purposes directed to the features to betreated. The multiple high power wavelength light sources are preferableto a dual wavelength laser diode equipped with a focusing element. Themultiple high power light sources are preferably mounted on a mechanicaldevice serving as an optical bench and are aimed to have a point ofintersection. A mechanical guidance system and an imaging device areprovided to guide the focused laser energy to the treatment point on orunder the skin surface.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, an aesthetic treatment device comprising: a multiillumination system having at least one source in the visible region,disposed around a periphery of a predetermined area of skin; an imagingdevice, sensitive to the illumination system, to discern features on orunder the skin within the predetermined area of skin to be treated;multiple treatment light sources mounted on an optical bench and aimedand focused to a point of treatment within the predetermined area ofskin; a mechanical guidance system to guide the multiple treatment lightsources; a pulse generator to control power output of the multipletreatment light sources based upon the treatment to be applied to thepredetermined area of skin.

According to an embodiment, the multiple treatment light sources are ofdifferent wavelengths enabling different aesthetic procedures to beapplied as the treatment.

According to an embodiment, the mechanical guidance system comprises abase having at least one spherical portion and a body which is manuallyoperable about the at least one spherical portion, to manually operatethe aesthetic treatment device in near spherical movements.

According to an embodiment, the mechanical guidance system comprises amotor to move the mechanical guidance system, and the aesthetictreatment device further comprises a dedicated computerized controllerto control the motor.

According to an embodiment, the aesthetic treatment device furthercomprises a, moving focusing optical system to create different beamsizes of the light sources based upon the treatment to be applied to thepredetermined area of the skin treated by the treatment light sources.

According to an embodiment, the aesthetic treatment device furthercomprises a registration device to mark treated areas.

There is provided in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for a dermatological aesthetic treatment with adevice comprising: illuminating a predetermined skin area using multiplelight sources around a periphery of the predetermined skin area, themultiple light sources having at least one source in the visible region;discerning a feature on or in the predetermined area of the skin bygenerating an image of the feature illuminated by the multiple lightsources; and controlling power output of treatment light sources toperform treatment on the feature.

According to an embodiment, the controlling of the power output of thetreatment light sources comprises generating different wavelengths oflight between the treatment light sources based upon the treatment to beperformed.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises moving thetreatment light sources spherically about a base having at least onespherical portion.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises moving thetreatment light sources using a motor.

According to an embodiment, the controlling of the power output of thetreatment light sources comprises generating different beam sizesbetween the treatment light sources.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises marking thepredetermined area of skin treated.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, an aesthetic treatment device, comprising: an imaging deviceto generate an image of a predetermined area of skin; multiple treatmentlight sources provided in pairs, one of each pair have a same wavelengthas the other in the pair and has a different wavelength from at leastone other pair, wherein focused beams of the multiple treatment lightsources are aimed and focused at the predetermined area of skin and tosimultaneously perform a treatment on a feature of the predeterminedarea of skin according to the image generated; and a controller toadjust output of the multiple treatment light sources to vary thetreatment based on the treatment to be performed.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, an imaging device to generate an image of a predeterminedarea of skin; multiple treatment light sources provided in pairs, eachpair having a same wavelength as the other in the pair and having adifferent wavelength from at least one other pair, wherein focused beamsof the multiple treatment light sources are aimed and focused accordingto the wavelengths thereof at different focal points along a line atdifferent depths under the skin according to the wavelengths thereof atthe predetermined area of skin and to simultaneously perform a treatmenton a feature of the predetermined area of skin according to the imagegenerated; and a controller to adjust output of the multiple treatmentlight sources to vary the treatment based on the treatment to beperformed.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, an aesthetic treatment device, comprising: an imaging deviceto generate an image of a predetermined area of skin; multiple treatmentlight sources aimed and focused according to the image generated at aparticular point within the predetermined area of skin; a focal pointmovement mechanism, to adjust a location of the particular point offocus within the predetermined area of skin; and a controller to adjustoutput of the multiple treatment light sources to vary the treatmentbased on the treatment to be performed.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for performing an aesthetic treatment on apredetermined area of skin, comprising: generating an image of theilluminated predetermined area of the skin; and generating outputs frompairs of multiple treatment light sources to simultaneously perform thetreatment based upon the image of the predetermined area of the skin,wherein one of each pair has a same wavelength as the other in the pair,each pair having a different wavelength from at least one other pair.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for performing an aesthetic treatment on apredetermined area of skin, comprising: generating an image of theilluminated predetermined area of the skin; generating outputs frommultiple treatment light sources to simultaneously perform the treatmentbased upon the image of the predetermined area of the skin; and focusingthe outputs from the multiple outputs at different focal pointsaccording to wavelength along a line of depth into the skin.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obviousfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is schematic representation of an aesthetic treatment deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a blown up peripheral view of a portion of the aesthetictreatment device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the outer surface of the aesthetic treatment deviceshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment device shownin FIG. 1, revealing a bottom up view of the aesthetic treatment device,wherein FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view along A-A;

FIGS. 5-9 are schematic, perspective, cross-sectional and blown up viewsof the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG. 1, wherein the aimingpoint of focused beams are under the surface of the skin and at a hairfollicle;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are a view of a predetermined area of skin imaged by acamera system of the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG. 1 and across-sectional view of a skin surface and under the skin surfaceportion of a person on whom the aesthetic treatment device is beingused;

FIGS. 12-16 are blown up views showing an illumination system accordingto one embodiment of the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 17-20 are blown up views showing an illumination system accordingto another embodiment of the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a schematic representation of an aesthetic treatment deviceaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a peripheral view of a portion of the aesthetic treatmentdevice shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a top cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment deviceshown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment devicealong line F-F of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a skin surface and under the skinportion of a person on whom the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG.21 is being used;

FIG. 26 is an exterior view of an aesthetic treatment device accordingto another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment deviceshown in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the aesthetic treatment device shown inFIG. 26;

FIG. 29 is an exterior view of the aesthetic treatment device shown inFIG. 26 when the aiming point of treatment light beams is moved awayfrom an original aiming point;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment deviceshown in FIG. 26 when the aiming point of treatment light beams is movedaway from an original aiming point;

FIG. 31 is a blown up view showing the aiming point of the treatmentlight beams of the aesthetic treatment device shown in FIG. 26, whereinthe aiming point is moved away from the original aiming point;

FIG. 32 is peripheral view showing a tilt mechanism to tilt a lens forfocusing light beams of the aesthetic treatment device of FIG. 26;

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a lens lateral movement mechanism thatis used by an aesthetic treatment device instead of the tilt (dual axisangular movement) mechanism shown in FIGS. 27 through 32;

FIG. 34 is a blown up perspective view of the relationship between amotor and a frame to linearly move a lens used in the lens lateralmovement mechanism shown in FIG. 33; and

FIG. 35 shows a perspective view of the aesthetic treatment device usingthe lens lateral movement mechanism shown in FIG. 33.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

Aspects of the present invention disclose an aesthetic treatment deviceenabling application of focused light beams directly to skin disorders,including miniature ones like hair follicles, stains, wrinkle lines,tattoo particles, miniature veins, etc., by treating the disorder withminimal or no effect on the surrounding skin.

Aspects of the present invention disclose an aesthetic treatment deviceenabling recognition of areas of skin to be treated. Recognition of thedisorder is performed by a dual illumination system and the applicationof coherent or noncoherent multiple focused light sources directly to aspecific recognized target for aesthetic treatments.

Aspects of the present invention disclose a dual illumination system,such that an additional illumination system is provided in addition to a“regular” illumination system. The so called regular illumination systemilluminates the skin from above and it is mounted around a camera lens.The configuration usually results in good illumination for the skin, butdue to back reflections, hair and hair roots are not easily seen. Theadditional illumination system is mounted on a peripheral area of asystem opening as shown in the relevant drawing, and providesillumination which is parallel to the skin. Features protruding out fromthe skin will be strongly illuminated while the skin will remain inrelative darkness, creating an improved image emphasizing hair and outersurface features.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an aesthetic treatment device100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. An imagingapparatus 16 includes a camera system 7 and a miniature imaging device 3(see FIGS. 1 and 2). The camera system 7 is a multispectral camerasystem sensitive to the visible spectrum and infrared spectrum. Theminiature imaging device 3, preferably, but not necessarily, a chargecoupled device CCD, receives the images obtained by the camera system 7,and provides a visual of the images obtained by the camera system 7 forviewing by a user. The aesthetic treatment device 100 may be connectedto a computer screen, a tablet or a cell phone, or a regular screen likea television screen, wirelessly or through a USB or other connectionelement, or connected to an analog screen via a connector cable or otherconnection element. An illumination system 11, in this instance, LEDs orminiature lamps, are disposed in the peripheral area of the skin of aperson to be treated (either the user or another party). The immergingillumination is primarily parallel to the skin surface, therebyimproving the contrast of different features on the skin surface.Treatment light sources, such as laser modules 40, each having a laserdiode 4 and focusing optics 8, are mounted on a miniature optical bench6, with each laser diode 4 having a focused beam 9 and aimed at the sameaiming point 12 on or under the skin. Each laser diode 4 sits in ahousing such that the housing sits inside the miniature optical bench 6,and the miniature optical bench 6 has the necessary electronics (e.g.,an electronic chip) to drive the laser diode 4.

The LEDs 4 may have different wavelengths. The aesthetic treatmentdevice 100 is equipped with a firing button 2 which is exposed andprotrudes externally from the outer surface 1 of the aesthetic treatmentdevice 100 (see FIG. 3), and a firing contact 5 connected to the firingbottom 2 by a connecting element 32. A pulse pattern of the LEDs 4 iseither predetermined in advance, such as at the factory, or may beselected by a user via software which is accessible to the user. Bypushing the firing bottom 2, the firing contact 5 moves to activate thelaser modules 40, to produce the predetermined pulse pattern or pulseduration. A special spherical bearing 13 pivots and thus scans thefocused beams 9 across the skin surface. The user, who is performinghair removal or rejuvenation by self-activating the aesthetic treatmentdevice 100 or performing hair removal or rejuvenation on another person,moves the upper part of the aesthetic treatment device 100 (outersurface 1) around the spherical bearing 13 to provide a delicate lasermovement at the skin surface. In FIG. 4, line A-A shows a cross-sectionof the aesthetic treatment device 100 (see FIG. 1 for cross-sectionalview along A-A) where the concentric circles represent an elasticelement sealing the spherical bearing 13. Moving the outer surface 1manually around the spherical bearing 13 will steer the LEDs 4 todifferent locations. Scanning of the aiming point 12 is provided bymanually moving the aesthetic treatment device 100 around such a pivot.

The treatment lasers or LEDs 4 are equipped with the focusing optics 8to adjust beam size by moving up and down of the focused beams 9 whichare directed towards the specific treatment skin area, then performinglocalized treatment without significant damage to the surrounding skinarea. A registration device 54 is for registration purposes for the userto be able to mark and register the areas he/she has already treated.

An electronics board 10 includes a control unit and a pulse generator.The control unit controls beam parameters to be applied to the skin.Control is performed through the pulse generator and performs intensityduration as required for a particular aesthetic skin treatment. Thepulse generator can be operated by the user pressing the firing button2, the user can select the power by software loaded on a computingdevice or can have the power displayed on a TV screen, and some separatedevice to control the power.

FIGS. 5-9 are schematic, perspective, cross-sectional and blown up viewsof the aesthetic treatment device 100 and the LEDs' 4 operation, such asFIGS. 5, 6 and 7, along with a blown up of the skin surface area (seeFIG. 8) when the focused beam penetrates the skin epidermis, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. The imaging apparatus 16identifies hair 25, at a shaft 26 location and in some cases itsfollicle 27 location. The imaging apparatus 16, being multispectralsensitive to the infrared spectrum, will discern the under the skinfollicle 27 location (see FIGS. 8 and 9 in particular). The hairfollicle 27 may also be in the border between the dermis and under theskin. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the aesthetic treatment devicetaken along cross-section B-B shown in FIG. 7.

Treatment laser sources (LEDs) 4, in this example configuration, have asingle aiming (focusing) point 12, such that the aiming point 12 isprovided in such a way that is located beneath the epidermis level ofthe skin and directly targets the shown hair follicle 27 or in itsimmediate surroundings (see FIG. 8). Each focused beam 9 penetrates theepidermis from a different location. The focused beams 9, at the skinlevel, are not yet focused and thus do not damage the epidermis. But atthe approximate location of the hair follicle 27, the three focusedbeams 9 coincide and each beam is focused. The end outcome is a devicefocusing at the sub skin level spotting the hair follicle 27 as shown indetail in FIG. 9.

It should be noted that if the illumination system 11 is a thicker one,then the aiming point 12 would be on the surface of the skin instead ofunder the surface of the skin.

FIG. 10 show a portion of skin with skin areas having hairs 25, with thehair shaft 26 and the hair follicle 27 captured by the camera system 7and as seen by the miniature imaging device 3 of the imaging device 16.FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the patient's body, includingthe skin surface and underneath the skin, taken along line C-C of FIG.10. The skin is partially transparent to the camera system 7, thewavelengths of treatment of the focused beams 9 and the illuminationsystem 11.

In FIGS. 1, 3 and 9, the camera system 7 takes the image of a portion ofskin with skin areas having hairs 25 with hair shafts 26 and hairfollicles 27. As noted, in this embodiment, the camera system 7 isstationary within the aesthetic treatment device 100, so that if a userwants to take an image of a different portion of skin, then the userneeds to move the outer surface 1 of the aesthetic treatment device 100.The imaging apparatus 16 forms an image of the portion of the skin usingthe miniature imaging device 3, and provides that information to anexternal display such as a display panel, computer screen, tablet screenor any other type of screen.

The imaging apparatus 16 is able to see through the transparent surfaceof the skin, through to the hair follicle 27. The user is then able tomove the aiming point 12 of the LEDs 4 to be at the position of hairfollicle 27.

FIGS. 12-16 are blown up drawings of the illumination system 11 shown inFIG. 1. FIG. 12 reveals the basics of the illumination system 11. Theproposed illumination system 11 includes a glass disk (substrate) 18with illumination sources 19 at its perimeter. Illumination sources 19output light of different wavelengths and can be controlledindividually. The different wavelengths can provide for a bettercontrast between the skin surface and the area (skin features) to betreated. Light 20 travels in the glass disk substrate 18 almostperpendicular to a system optical axis 30, thus providing obliqueillumination to the skin features to be observed. Here, the light outputby the illumination sources 19 travels close to parallel to the skin. Aninner aperture, of the glass disk substrate 18 can be a hollow 21 asshown in this configuration or solid. The illumination system 11illuminates the area of the skin just underneath the circumference ofthe hollow (the area “within” the hollow) and the LEDs 4 treat the areaof skin within the hollow to fix the aesthetic problem which is revealedtherein. FIG. 12 is a view of the illumination system 11 along line D-Dof the aesthetic treatment device 100 of FIG. 14, which is a bottom upview.

FIGS. 17-20 show a blown up section of an illumination system 51according to another embodiment where illumination sources 23 aremounted on a printed circuit board 22 illuminating a transparent part 14having reflective surfaces 52. The reflective surfaces 52 reflect lightby 90 degrees, causing a light beam 15 to emerge almost parallel to theskin surface from the opening in the reflective surfaces 52. Thus unlikein FIGS. 12-16 where the illumination sources 19 are mounted on aperiphery of a glass disk substrate 18 and light is emitted nearlyparallel to the skin, in FIGS. 17-20, the illumination sources 23 directlight perpendicular to the skin and the reflective surfaces bend thelight 90 degrees so as to be parallel to the skin. FIG. 17 is across-sectional view of the illumination system 5 (along E-E of FIG.20), where FIG. 20 is a bottom up view of the illumination system 11 ofthe aesthetic treatment device 100.

FIGS. 21-25 show an aesthetic treatment device 200 according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, multiple pairsof light sources (laser diodes) 64A, 64B, 64C and 64D are preferablymounted on an optical bench 66 and are aimed in the same direction so asto be parallel to each other and directly downward in the drawing. Theoptical bench 66 is similar to the optical bench 6 of the previousembodiments, with the necessary electronics (e.g., an electronic chip)to drive the laser diodes 64A-64D. The laser diodes 64A-64D are aimed atan under the skin area 11 in this embodiment (below the epidemis 89 anddermis 90), but can just as easily be aimed on a surface of the skin(epidermis 89). The laser diodes 64A-64D are paired, each pair isdenoted by a same letter combination, i.e. 64A, 64B, 64C, or 64D, for atotal of 4 pairs mounted as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. There may be lessor more than 4 pairs of laser diodes. Cross-section F-F in FIG. 23 ofthe aesthetic treatment device 200 is shown in FIG. 24. Each laser diodehas a collimating lens 65 which collimates the light beam emittedtherefrom. Each laser diode 64A-64D emits a corresponding laser lightbeam 69A-69D straight downward, but which is re-directed by a lens 86 tobe focused toward an aiming point or aiming points along an optical axisof the lens 86. The lens 86 focuses the laser light beams 69A-69D belowthe skin in this instance, but could be in a configuration such that thelaser light beams 69A-69D are focused on the skin surface instead.

A camera system 67, which has an imaging device 63 (which is a chargecoupled device in this embodiment), magnifies an area of the skin andschematically shows the epidermis 89, the dermis 90 and the under theskin area 81. The hair follicle 27 is shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, at whichthe laser light beams 69A-69D are aimed. Each pair of light beams has adifferent wavelength and is focused by the lens at a different pointunderneath the skin 11 and along the system optical axis, creatingmultiple foci along the optical axis (see FIG. 25). This is due to thelens 86 bending the light by different amounts depending upon thewavelengths of the light beams passing therethrough. Generally, thehigher the wavelength, the further is the aiming point from theaesthetic treatment device 200, and thus deeper into the skin. By havingthe pairs of light beams at different aiming points along an axis anddeeper or shallower into the skin, there is an increased chance ofremoving the hair follicle since the user may not be able to determinethe exact depth of the hair follicle 27.

The multiple pairs of light sources could be configured so that eachpair emits light beams of the same wavelength but different from theother pairs as just described, but could also emit light beams all ofthe same wavelength. Further, the light beams could be paired indifferent frequencies of pulses and could be in the visible range, theinfrared (IR) range or near ultraviolet (UV) range, depending upon theapplication/treatment to be performed by the aesthetic treatment device200.

The lens could be a singlet, but could also have multiple lenses, suchas two lenses, where the lens system can correct for wavelength so thatall wavelengths are at the same focal point.

Based on the received image from the camera system 67, a user can aimthe light beams 69A-69D to the target, such as a hair 25 and/or itsfollicle 27, in this specific application. The aesthetic treatmentdevice 200 may incorporate the special spherical bearing 13 shown in theaesthetic treatment device 100 of FIG. 1 to enable the user to directthe aiming point 12 laterally, but has been left out to avoid redundancyand for ease of understanding.

The lens 86 has a hollow in the center, allowing for the camera system67 to get a clear view of the skin portion underneath the aesthetictreatment device 200.

The illumination system 11 may be incorporated into this embodiment in asimilar fashion as was shown and described with reference to theaesthetic treatment device 100, but has been left out so to avoidredundancy and for ease of understanding.

FIGS. 26-32 show an aesthetic treatment device 300 according to yetanother embodiment, one that incorporates the capability to move thelaser focusing point across an imaged skin portion without moving anouter surface 301. In this embodiment, the configuration of the laserdiodes 64A-64D and optical bench 66 from the previous embodiment and alens 96 (which can be the same as the lens 86 or lens system used in theprevious embodiment) are used. This capability is achieved by tiltingthe lens 96 in two axes. FIG. 26 shows the external view of theaesthetic treatment device 300 with an outer surface 201 and connectioncables 302 for connecting the aesthetic treatment device to a displayand/or computing device. The connection cables 302 are also usable forthe previous embodiments. It is also conceivable for any of theseembodiments that the communication with the display and/or computingdevice can take place wirelessly, as well as through a wired connection.

FIG. 27 shows a cross-sectional view of the lens system (or singularlens) 96 along cross-section G-G of FIG. 26 when the lens 96 is in anoriginal untilted position. FIG. 28 is a schematic view of the aesthetictreatment device 300. FIG. 30 shows a cross-section view of the lenssystem (or singular lens) 96 along cross-section H-H of FIG. 29 when thelens 106 is tilted relative to the original untilted position. This lens96 concentrates the multiple laser light beams 69A-69D emitted bycorresponding laser diodes 64A-64D mounted on the optical bench 66 to anaiming point or points 112 along the optical axis of the lens 96. Motors114 and 115 will tilt two orthogonal oriented frames 116 and 117 aboutaxes 120 and 121, respectively, thereby transmitting the tilt motion tothe lens element 96. For relatively small tilting motion, even when thecamera system 67 shows a skin area with the outer surface 301 of theaesthetic treatment device 300 in a particular position on the body ofsomeone to which the treatment is being applied, the motion of theframes 116 and 117 about orthogonal corresponding axes 120 and 121,causes rotation of the lens 96, and this effect will scan the laserfocused beams 69A-69D across the skin area, without any additionalmovement of the outer surface 301 of the aesthetic treatment device 300.The movement amount is proportional to the lens 96 tilt. In thisinstance, the frames 116 and 117 act as gimbals. The lens 96 may tilt 3or 4 degrees according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a magnification of a tilted position of the aiming point 112when the frames 116 and 117, and thus the lens 96, are tilted relativeto the original laser beam position (optical axis) 118 when the lens 96was untilted. FIG. 32 shows in detail the tilting mechanism with themotors 114 and 115 and the two orthogonal axes 120 and 121, which arepivot axes for frames 116 and 117. The frame 117 here is glued to thelens 96. The aiming points 112 are moved away from the original opticalaxis of the lens 96 corresponding to when the lens 96 is in an originalstarting position.

The lens 96 has a hollow in the center, allowing for the camera system67 to get a clear view of the skin portion underneath the aesthetictreatment device 300.

In this embodiment, the user can adjust the lens position to treatvarious skin features, like hairs 25, by aiming the light beams 69A-69Dat the hair follicle 27 or hair follicles 27 under the skin that arewithin view of the camera system 67, without moving the outer surface301 of the aesthetic treatment device 300. Alternatively, a computingsystem (not shown), upon receiving the image of a skin portion, can runan algorithm to determine the location or locations of hair follicleswithin the skin portion for which the image is generated, and then aimthe light beams 69A-69D at desired locations of each of the hairfollicles within that skin portion by powering the motors 114 and 115 torotate the lens 106 through the frames 116 and 117. In that way, a usersimply has to place the aesthetic treatment device 300 over a skinportion, and without doing anything else, the aesthetic treatment devicecan eliminate each hair follicle (and thus hair) that is located withinthat skin portion, thereby easing use by the user. The user may even beable to see the fumes from the hair follicles getting zapped. Bypinpointing the locations of the hair follicles, and zapping only thespecific locations, less damage and pain are caused to the skin, asopposed to the related art, which zaps a general skin portion withoutfinding the exact location of the hair, nor focusing on the hairfollicle under the skin.

Under this embodiment, since the aiming point(s) 112 can be movedlaterally through the rotation of the lens 96, the special sphericalbearing 13 as shown in FIG. 1 is not necessary.

The illumination system 11 may be incorporated into this embodiment in asimilar fashion as was shown and described with reference to theaesthetic treatment device 100, but has been left out so to avoidredundancy and for ease of understanding.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a lens lateral movement mechanism 122that replaces the dual axis angular movement mechanism shown in FIGS. 26through 32, and its function is to scan the laser beams 69A-69Dlaterally across the predetermined area of the skin. The lateralmovement is performed parallel to the skin and the ratio of lens 106movement to laser movement across the skin is unity. The lens 106 isoptically identical to previous scanning lenses, such as lens 96, butwith a different mechanical outline. A frame 127 holds the lens 106 andis attached to a nut element 131 (see FIG. 34) and is moved linearly bya motor 124 along an axis 129 (see FIG. 35). A mechanical frame 128holds the motor 124, and is attached to another nut (not shown). Alinear mechanism is shown by the magnified section J of FIG. 33 in FIG.34, where a screw like shaft 132 of the motor 124, engaged with the nutelement 131, moves the nut element 131 so that the frame 127 moves alongthe axis 129 relative to the mechanical frame 128. A frame 133 holdsanother motor 125 with a screw like shaft (not shown) to engage a nutelement (not shown) attached to the mechanical frame 128. Thus in asimilar way, the motor 125 moves the mechanical frame 128 alongorthogonal axis 130, to move the lens 106 in a direction orthogonal tothe axis 129. The frame 133 is attached to an outer housing of theanesthetic device 400. The aiming points 112 are moved away from theoriginal optical axis of the lens 106 when the lens 106 is in anoriginal starting position, similar to the movement (but due todifferent operation from that of the lens 96) of the aiming points shownin FIGS. 30 and 31.

FIG. 35 shows the same lens lateral movement mechanism 122 shown inFIGS. 33 and 34, with some added features that are present in previousembodiments, like the optical bench 66, the camera system 67 and thelaser aiming point or points 112, thereby illustrating an aesthetictreatment device 400 according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

In this embodiment, the user can adjust the lens 106 position to treatvarious skin features, like hairs 25, by aiming the light beams 69A-69Dat the hair follicle 27 or hair follicles 27 under the skin that arewithin view of the camera system 67, without moving an outer surface(not shown) of the aesthetic treatment device 400. Alternatively, acomputing system (not shown), upon receiving the image of a skinportion, can run an algorithm to determine the location or locations ofhair follicles within the skin portion for which the image is generated,and then aim the light beams 69A-69D at desired locations of each of thehair follicles within that skin portion by powering the motors 124 and125 to laterally move the lens 106 through the movement of the frame 127and mechanical frame 128. In that way, a user simply has to place theaesthetic treatment device 400 over a skin portion, and without doinganything else, the aesthetic treatment device 400 can eliminate eachhair follicle (and thus hair) that is located within that skin portion,thereby easing use by the user. The user may even be able to see thefumes from the hair follicles 27 getting zapped. By pinpointing thelocations of the hair follicles 27, and zapping only the specificlocations, less damage and pain are caused to the skin, as opposed tothe related art, which zaps a general skin portion without finding theexact location of the hair, nor focusing on the hair follicle under theskin.

Under this embodiment, since the aiming point(s) 112 can be movedlaterally through the rotation of the lens 96, the special sphericalbearing 13 as shown in FIG. 1 is not necessary.

The illumination system 11 may be incorporated into this embodiment in asimilar fashion as was shown and described with reference to theaesthetic treatment device 100, but has been left out so to avoidredundancy and for ease of understanding.

Accordingly, a device and method of an aesthetic treatment device isdisclosed. The device includes multiple focused beams to be selectivelyaimed at the area of the skin to be treated. Aspects of the presentinvention relate to a method for aesthetic treatment where multiwavelength light sources combined with an adequate imaging device isused to select the target skin area and an appropriate laser lightcombination is used to treat the skin area target. The treatment isperformed by aiming focused light sources or laser beams on or under theskin which are powerful enough to penetrate and destroy hair follicleswhich are in between the skin and under the skin or under the skin,treat acne and treat other dermatological disorders on or under theskin. More specifically, aspects of the present invention relate to aminiature aesthetic treatment device capable of performing non-contacttreatment to a limited area of the skin of a person, to treatingdermatological disorders such as hair follicles, acne glands, tattooremoval, wrinkles, age stains, rejuvenation and other superficialdermatological treatments. The imaging device is capable of recognizingthe area to be treated and may use an effective illumination device,such as the illumination system, illuminating the area of the skin to betreated from its periphery, thereby improving the contrast between theskin and skin surface disorders.

Known methods use a relatively large light source with a specificwavelength range, which floods a large skin area, the light source beingcapable of selective treatment by photothermolysis. For example, hairremoval is based on the principle of selectively heating and destroyingthe hair follicle while avoiding significant damage to surrounding skinor tissue. Hair follicles are selected by photothermolysis, which is amethod based on the fact that hair absorbs greater amounts of light, dueto its darker color when compared with surrounding skin tissue, and asimilar mechanism will work for other treatments such as skin stains andminiature over exposed veins. Hair is thus automatically selected by thelight since it has a darker color and thus higher absorptioncoefficient. On the other hand, hair or other skin disorders brighterthan the surrounding skin area are difficult if not impossible to treatby prior art techniques. It is a purpose of the aesthetic treatmentdevice according to an embodiment of the present invention to offer adifferent method based on spatial selection of hair follicles or othertargets, destroying the follicle by focused light energy with little tono damage or exposure to surrounding skin or tissue.

One of the main limitations of existing methods is the usage of thephotothermolysis effect which relies on color difference between normalskin and the area to be treated, where a basic requirement is for theskin to be significantly brighter than the hair follicle or glands orand basically transparent to the used wavelength. That is the mainreason that light colored (such as blonde) and white hair are almostimpossible to treat using existing devices and methods since they arebrighter than the surrounding skin. It is a purpose of this invention tooffer a solution free of those prior art limitations.

Aspects of this invention relate generally to an aesthetic treatmentdevice and method to detect the position of a small area of skin to betreated and focus a light source on the specific area (on or under theskin) without affecting, and damaging the surrounding skin area.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in this embodiment without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aesthetic treatment device, comprising: animaging device to generate an image of a predetermined area of skin;multiple treatment light sources provided in pairs, one of each pairhave a same wavelength as the other in the pair and has a differentwavelength from at least one other pair, wherein focused beams of themultiple treatment light sources are aimed and focused at thepredetermined area of skin and to simultaneously perform a treatment ona feature of the predetermined area of skin according to the imagegenerated; and a controller to adjust output of the multiple treatmentlight sources to vary the treatment based on the treatment to beperformed.
 2. The aesthetic treatment device according to claim 1,further comprising: an optical bench; and a focusing element; whereinthe multiple treatment light sources are mounted on an optical bench andare directed parallel to one another towards the focusing element,wherein the focusing element bends and aims the parallel focused beamsat the predetermined area of skin.
 3. The aesthetic treatment deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein: the focusing element is a circular lens,and the multiple treatment light sources are arranged in a circularpattern with one of each of the pairs being directly across the otherone of the pair of each pair of multiple treatment light sources.
 5. Theaesthetic treatment device according to claim 2, wherein aiming pointsof the pairs of focused beams are each along an optical axis of thefocusing element, but at a different distance than other pairs offocused beams from the focusing element.
 6. The aesthetic treatmentdevice according to claim 3, wherein aiming points of the pairs offocused beams are each along an optical axis of the circular lens, butat a different distance than other pairs of focused beams from thecircular lens.
 7. The aesthetic treatment device according to claim 1,wherein an aiming point of the focused beams is below a surface of theskin.
 8. The aesthetic treatment device according to claim 1, whereinaiming points of the focused beams along the optical axis are below asurface of the skin.
 9. An aesthetic treatment device, comprising: animaging device to generate an image of a predetermined area of skin;multiple treatment light sources provided in pairs, each pair having asame wavelength as the other in the pair and having a differentwavelength from at least one other pair, wherein focused beams of themultiple treatment light sources are aimed and focused according to thewavelengths thereof at different focal points along a line at differentdepths under the skin according to the wavelengths thereof at thepredetermined area of skin and to simultaneously perform a treatment ona feature of the predetermined area of skin according to the imagegenerated; and a controller to adjust output of the multiple treatmentlight sources to vary the treatment based on the treatment to beperformed.
 10. The aesthetic treatment device according to claim 9,further comprising: a focusing element which bends and aims the focusedbeams to the different focal points; and a focal point movementdirection mechanism, to move the focusing element to adjust thelocations of the different focal points.
 11. The aesthetic treatmentdevice according to claim 10, further comprising: first and secondframes rotatable about respective first and second orthogonal axes;first and second motors to rotate the first and second frames about thefirst and second orthogonal axes; wherein: the focusing element is alens mounted to one of the frames and the second frame is movablerelative to first frame, wherein movement of the first and second framescause the lens to be rotatable due to movement about both axes, so as toadjust the focal points of the focused beams.
 12. The aesthetictreatment device according to claim 9, further comprising: an imageprocessor to process the image, determine at least one location in thepredetermined area of skin for treatment, and activate the focal pointmovement direction mechanism to move the focus element to eachdetermined location and activate the multiple treatment light sources toperform the treatment at each location.
 13. The aesthetic treatmentdevice according to claim 10, further comprising: first and secondframes linearly movable along respective first and second orthogonalaxes; first and second motors to linearly move the first and secondframes along the first and second orthogonal axes; wherein: the focusingelement is a lens mounted to one of the frames and the second frame ismovable relative to first frame, wherein movement of the first andsecond frames cause the lens linearly move about both axes, so as toadjust the focal points of the focused beams.
 14. The aesthetictreatment device according to claim 13, further comprising: a nutconnected to the first frame; and a screw like shaft rotatable by thefirst motor and connected to the nut, to convert rotation energy of themotor to linear energy to move the nut, the first frame and the lensalong the first orthogonal axis.
 15. An aesthetic treatment device,comprising: an imaging device to generate an image of a predeterminedarea of skin; multiple treatment light sources aimed and focusedaccording to the image generated at a particular point within thepredetermined area of skin; a focal point movement mechanism, to adjusta location of the particular point of focus within the predeterminedarea of skin; and a controller to adjust output of the multipletreatment light sources to vary the treatment based on the treatment tobe performed.
 16. The aesthetic treatment device according to claim 15,further comprising: a focusing element which bends and aims the focusedbeams to the different focal points; and a focal point movementdirection mechanism, to move the focusing element to adjust thelocations of the different focal points.
 17. The aesthetic treatmentdevice according to claim 16, further comprising: first and secondframes rotatable about respective first and second orthogonal axes;first and second motors to rotate the first and second frames about thefirst and second orthogonal axes; wherein: the focusing element is alens mounted to one of the frames and the second frame is movablerelative to first frame, wherein movement of the first and second framescause the lens to be rotatable due to movement about both axes, so as toadjust the focal points of the focused beams.
 18. The aesthetictreatment device according to claim 15, further comprising: an imageprocessor to process the image, determine at least one location in thepredetermined area of skin for treatment, and activate the focal pointmovement direction mechanism to move the focus element to eachdetermined location and activate the multiple treatment light sources toperform the treatment at each location.
 19. The aesthetic treatmentdevice according to claim 16, further comprising: first and secondframes linearly movable along respective first and second orthogonalaxes; first and second motors to linearly move the first and secondframes along the first and second orthogonal axes; wherein: the focusingelement is a lens mounted to one of the frames and the second frame ismovable relative to first frame, wherein movement of the first andsecond frames cause the lens linearly move about both axes, so as toadjust the focal points of the focused beams.
 20. The aesthetictreatment device according to claim 19, further comprising: a nutconnected to the first frame; and a screw like shaft rotatable by thefirst motor and connected to the nut, to convert rotation energy of themotor to linear energy to move the nut, the first frame and the lensalong the first orthogonal axis.
 21. A method for performing anaesthetic treatment on a predetermined area of skin, comprising:generating an image of the illuminated predetermined area of the skin;and generating outputs from pairs of multiple treatment light sources tosimultaneously perform the treatment based upon the image of thepredetermined area of the skin, wherein one of each pair has a samewavelength as the other in the pair, each pair having a differentwavelength from at least one other pair.
 22. The method according toclaim 21, further comprising bending the focused beams s according towavelength so that each pair of focused beams has a focal point at adifferent depth from each other pair of focused beams.
 23. The methodaccording to claim 21, wherein a focal point of the focused beams isunder the skin.
 24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the focalpoints are under the skin, each pair having a same wavelength as theother in the pair and having a different wavelength from at least oneother pair
 25. A method for performing an aesthetic treatment on apredetermined area of skin, comprising: generating an image of theilluminated predetermined area of the skin; generating outputs frommultiple treatment light sources to simultaneously perform the treatmentbased upon the image of the predetermined area of the skin; and focusingthe outputs from the multiple outputs at different focal pointsaccording to wavelength along a line of depth into the skin.
 26. Themethod according to claim 25, wherein the focusing of the outputscomprises: moving a focusing element about two axes of rotation torotate the lens so as to move the focal points away from the line ofdepth into the skin, according to the generated image.
 27. The methodaccording to claim 26, further comprising: using a computing device todetermine locations in the predetermined area of the skin for treatment;automatically controlling the multiple treatment light sources togenerate the focused beams according to the treatment to be performed;and automatically controlling the focusing element to move the focalpoints to the locations in the predetermined area, to perform thetreatment at each location.
 28. The method according to claim 25, thefocusing of the outputs comprises: moving a focusing element linearlyalong two orthogonal axes to linearly move the lens so as to move thefocal points away from the line of depth into the skin, according to thegenerated image.
 29. The method according to claim 26, furthercomprising: using a computing device to determine locations in thepredetermined area of the skin for treatment; automatically controllingthe multiple treatment light sources to generate the focused beamsaccording to the treatment to be performed; and automaticallycontrolling the focusing element to move the focal points to thelocations in the predetermined area, to perform the treatment at eachlocation.